Basketball game wherein the arms of each player are rotatable independently and relative to each other



3,416,799 ROTAIABLE Dec. 17, 1968 c. N. SANDE LOPEZ BASKETBALL GAME WHEREIN THE ARMS OF EACH PLAYER ARE INDEPENDENTLY AND RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER Filed Nov. 14, 1966 INVENTOR CESAR NUMA SANDE LOPEZ BY JW. 04%,

ATTORNEY) United States Patent BASKETBALL GAME WHEREIN THE ARMS OF EACH PLAYER ARE ROTATABLE INDE- PENDENTLY AND RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER Cesar Numa Sande Lopez, Jackson 1372, Montevideo, Uruguay Filed Nov. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 594,171 8 Claims. (Cl. 27385) This invention relates to a game, and more particularly, to a table top game.

More specifically, this invention relates to a basketball game.

Many types of table top ball games are known, wherein the dummies or puppets are movable in such a manner as to move a ball on the playing surface. However, most of these games are directed to football, or soccer, wherein the ball is pushed only with the feet and bodies of the dummies rather than the hands. In basketball, use of the hands constitutes an important part of the game, and such use of the hands creates a number of difliculties which have bave made prior art table basketball games very different from the real basketball game.

According to the present invention, the ball may be pushed, thrown, or caught by the hands of the dummies. The present invention, therefore, provides a simple construction, using a minimum amount of simple parts, thereby enablying simple and cheap manufacture and repairs of the game. Furthermore, according to the present construction, the operation is so simple that it can be learned within a few minutes.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game comprising a table whose upper surface defines a playing surface, means for supporting at least one dummy above said playing surface, at least one dummy mounted on said supporting means and freely rotatable thereabout, a pair of arms associated with each dummy, means mounting one end of the first arm of said pair on said supporting means on one side of said dummy, means mounting one end of the second arm of said pair on said supporting means on the other side of said dummy, the other end of each arm being free and defining a cup-shaped hand for receiving or holding a ball, the cup-shaped hand of each pair being opposed to each other and superposable over each other to be able to grasp between them a ball, and means for independent-1y rotating each arm of said pair so that a ball can be moved or caught with either arm separately or both arms together.

More particularly, the supporting means comprises a first rod having an axial bore therein, means supporting said rod above and parallel to said playing surface and for rotation about its axis, said dummy being mounted on said rod for free rotation about said rod in a plane perpendicular to said rod and said playing surface, the first arm of said pair being fixed to said rod for rotation therewith, a second rod rotatably mounted in the axial bore of said first rod, means fastening said second arm to said second rod for rotation therewith, said rods being rotatable about their respective axes at least partly independently of each other.

According to the preferred construction, there are upright side walls about the table, and the side walls have therein transverse bores which support the manipulative rods for rotation about their axes and for movement parallel to the axes.

Of course, to simulate an actual basketball game, there are two sets of dummies facing at opposite ends of the table so that the two players can play the game, trying to score a goal or throw the ball into the appropriate basket.

These and other aspects of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section, showing the mounting of one dummy and its associated arms above the table:

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the table, showing the general arrangement of the playing dummies and their control rods;

FIG. 3 shows one of the arms of the dummy;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 show various positions of the dummy and the arms during the playing of the game;

FIG. 10 is a detailed fragmentary view showing the mounting of one of the arms of the dummy on its control rod;

FIG. 11 is a cross section of FIG. 10, taken along line 11-11; and

FIG. 12 is a cross section showing a detail of the mounting of the other arm.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the game comprises a table top or similar supporting surface, the upper surface of which defines the playing surface. Surrounding the table are opposed vertical side walls 2 and end walls 3, which enclose the playing surface. A plurality of rods 4 pass through holes in side walls 2, so that the rods are supported above and substantially parallel to the playing surface and parallel to each other. The rods 4 are loosely mounted in the holes of the side walls 2, so that the rods are free to be rotated and free to be moved in a direction parallel to their axis. Rod 4 is a tube or otherwise has an axial bore therein in which there is positioned a second rod 5 which is free to rotate about its axis within the bore of rod 4.

On each supporting rod 4, there is mounted at least one puppet or dummy 6, said dummies being mounted on rod 4 by virtue of rod 4 freely passing through a hole in the duummy at approximately shoulder level. Dummies 6 may be weighted at their lower ends so that by virtue of the loose mounting of the dummies on the rods 4, the dummies will always remain in a vertical position, regardless of the rotation of rod 4.

There is a pair of arms 7 and 8 associated with each dummy, the arms being mounted on rod 4 so that one arm of each pair is on either side of the dummy 6. At one end 9 of each arm there is a transverse opening 10 which receives rod 4 and each arm 7 has a set screw 11 which secures the arm to the rod 4 for rotation therewith. One arm, namely 7, of each pair is secure to tube 4 in the manner just described.

Each of the other arms 8 of each pair is secured or fixed to rod 5. This is accomplished by providing a circumferential slot 12 in rod 4 and the set screw 13 of arm 8 passes through said slot 12 and secures arm 8 to rod 5 for rotation therewith.

It will be appreciated that as rod 4 is rotated about its axis, arm 7 will rotate therewith, and as rod 5 is rotated about its axis, arm 8 will rotate therewith, but that the relative rotation between arms 4 and 5 is limited to the angular extent of slot 12, which may be varried as desired, but in the illustrated embodiment is shown as Each of the arms 7 and 8 have at their free end a cup-shaped hand 14, and the arms 7 and 8 are bent so that the cup-shaped hands of each pair of arms are superposable over each other, as shown in FIG. 1, to retain between them a ball B, such as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

At least one end of rod 5 extends beyond the corresponding end of rod 4 and both of these ends extend beyond the side wall in which the rods are mounted. Preferably, at said ends of rods 4 and 5, there is mounted a handle, which is shown in FIG. 2 as balls 15 and 16, ball 15 being fixed to the end of rod 4, and ball 16 being fixed to the end of rod 5. It is, of course, apparent that a? ball 15 has a hole therethrough to permit the passage of rod 4.

It is apparent from the above description that by rotating ball handle 15 or ball handle 16, the respective rods 4 and 5 can be rotated, which in turn causes corresponding rotation of arms 7 and 8. These ball handles 15 and 16 can be rotated independently (except as limited by slot 12) or together, and exemplary examples of the various movements which can be accomplished are shown in FIGS. 4 through 9. Furthermore, the assembly of rods 4 and 5 can be moved parallel to their axes so that the dummies and their arms can be moved laterally of the playing table. It is apparent from FIGS. 4 through 9 that the playing ball can be caught or held or moved by either arm of a pair separately or by both arms together to simulate movements of players in a real basketball game. By rotating the rods while moving the rods parallel to their axes, it is possible to move the ball diagonally of the board.

In the illustrated embodiment, there are two sets of dummies, together with corresponding rods, arms, etc., one set being shown by the numeral 6 in FIG. 2, and the other set being shown by numeral 6'. The dummies 6 all face one end of the table toward goal or basket 17, and the dummies 6 all face the other end of the table toward goal or basket 17. It will be appreciated that there may be a plurality or series of dummies 6 and a corresponding plurality of dummies 6'.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, two or more dummies may be mounted on a single assembly of rods 4 and 5. When more than two dummies are mounted on a single rod 4 and 5 all of the arms 7 of all of the dummies on said assembly move simultaneously as do all of the arms 8 mounted thereon.

The length of the arms 7 and 8 from their mounting on rods 4 and 5 to their ends 14 are substantially long enough to enable the hands to reach a ball B on the playing surface.

Although dummies 6 are freely rotatable about rod 4, and normally do not rotate when rod 4 is rotated, it will be appreciated that as rod 4 is rotated to bring the end 14 near the legs of the dummy, further rotation will rotate the dummy but this does not interfere with the playing of the game.

In the illustrated embodiment, there has been shown a basketball game having two opposing sets of players or dummies. It will be apparent that in some instances, it may be desirable to have a game where there is only one set of players all facing a single goal. In some instances, it may be desirable, particularly in coin operated machines to merely have a single player and a single basket, with the single player merely attempting to throw the ball into the basket.

What is claimed is:

1. A game comprising a table whose upper surface defines a playing surface, means for supporting at least one dummy above said playing surface, at least one dummy mounted on said supporting means and freely rotatable thereabout, a pair of arms associated with each dummy, means mounting one end of the first arm of said pair on said supporting means on one side of said dummy, means mounting one end of the second arm of said pair on said supporting means on the other side of said dummy, the other end of each arm being free and defining a cupshaped hand for receiving or holding a ball, the cupshaped hand of each pair being opposed to each other and superposable over each other to-be able to grasp between them a ball, and means for independently rotating each arm of said pair so that a ball can be moved or caught with either arm separately or both arms together.

2. A game according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises a first rod having an axial bore therein, means supporting said rod above and parallel to said playing surface and for rotation about its axis, said dummy being mounted on said rod for free rotation about said rod in a plane perpendicular to said rod and said playing surface, the first arm of said pair being fixed to said rod for rotation therewith, a second rod rotatably mounted in the axial bore of said first rod, means fastening said second arm to said second rod for rotation therewith, said rods being rotatable about their respective axes at least partly independently of each other.

3. A game according to claim 2, wherein said supporting means supports said rods for moving in a direction parallel to the axes of said rods.

4. A game according to claim 3, including upright side walls about said table, said side walls having transverse bores therein for supporting said rods for rotation and for movement parallel to the axes.

5. A game according to claim 4, wherein there are a plurality of dummies and supporting means, some of said dummies facing one end of said table and other of said dummies facing the other end of said table.

6. A game according to claim 5, which is a basketball game, and wherein a basket is mounted at opposite ends of said table.

7. A game according to claim 1, wherein there are at least two dummies facing opposite ends of said table.

8. A game according to claim 7, which is a basketball game, and wherein a basket is mounted at the opposite ends of said table.

References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,982,491 11/1934 Barnum 273-85 2,799,501 7/1957 Barbolla 27385 FOREIGN PATENTS 854,149 1940 France. 1,066,421 1954 France.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 124-41, 4 

1. A GAME COMPRISING A TABLE WHOSE UPPER SURFACE DEFINES A PLAYING SURFACE, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AT LEAST ONE DUMMY ABOVE SAID PLAYING SURFACE, AT LEAST ONE DUMMY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND FREELY ROTATABLE THEREABOUT, A PAIR OF ARMS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH DUMMY, MEANS MOUNTING ONE END OF THE FIRST ARM OF SAID PAIR ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS ON ONE SIDE OF SAID DUMMY, MEANS MOUNTING ONE END OF THE SECOND ARM OF SAID PAIR ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID DUMMY, THE OTHER END OF EACH ARM BEING FREE AND DEFINING A CUPSHAPED HAND FOR RECEIVING OR HOLDING A BALL, THE CUP- 